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Tuesday, 10 September 2013

BSF plans to deploy UAVs to keep eye on Indo-Pak border

he Border Security Force (BSF) will soon deploy unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) along the border with Pakistan to maintain heightened vigil, said a senior officer. A standard operating procedure is being drafted with the Indian Air Force (IAF) to finalise the modalities of using the UAVs.

The surveillance machines, which will be flying at an altitude of 10,000-12,000 feet, will capture images and relay real-time information on the movement of infiltrators, if any, anywhere near the border, said the officer.

“The plan to deploy UAVs is picking up pace... We are actively pursuing it and would like to use them not only on the western border but also on the eastern border with Bangladesh,” said BSF DG Subhash Joshi.

“They will be flying at a high altitude, and we will have to keep the airspace restrictions in mind. That is why the IAF has been roped in,” said Joshi.

While UAVs are currently being used in Naxal-hit areas, the thick forests there have hindered operations. An officer said the UAVs may prove to be more useful in the border area.

India is already using Long-Range Reconnaissance and Observation System (LORROS), Battlefield Surveillance Radar (BFSR) and night vision devices to enhance surveillance capabilities of the border troops. The BSF had suggested the use of UAVs to the Ministry of Home Affairs last year.

A recent media report claimed that Pakistan had started using UAVs along the Rajasthan border.

“There are always infiltration attempts. The electronic surveillance from the sky will not only help us keep an eye along the border but also provide proof if the other side denies such movement,” said a senior officer.